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Fix Windows 11 internet connectivity and network adapter issues post-upgrade

Troubleshoot Windows 11 WiFi and internet connectivity failures post-upgrade. Step-by-step technical fixes for corrupted TCP/IP stacks, DNS timeouts, and driver errors.

By Iain JewittPublished Updated
📖 7 min read1,492 words2 worked examples2 practice questions5 key definitions

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Welcome to the Purple Technical Briefing. Today we are addressing a critical issue impacting enterprise IT teams globally: the loss of wired internet connectivity on devices after an in-place upgrade to Windows 11. If you have had users suddenly unable to connect to your secure network post-upgrade, you are not alone. This is not a random bug. It is a specific failure in how the upgrade handles 802.1X authentication settings. In the next ten minutes, I will walk you through why this happens, how to fix it, and how to prevent it from derailing your operations. Let us start with the technical context. The Windows 11 upgrade issue we are discussing is not new. It has been documented across enterprise environments since the early feature updates, and it has become more prominent with the 23H2 to 25H2 upgrade cycle. The core problem is this: when a Windows 11 in-place upgrade runs, it can silently remove or corrupt the XML configuration files that govern wired 802.1X authentication. The result is that devices boot up after the upgrade, connect to the network physically, but fail to authenticate at the port level. The switch, doing its job correctly, either blocks the device or assigns it to a restricted guest VLAN. Now, let us go deeper into the technical mechanics. The Wired AutoConfig service, known internally as dot3svc, is the Windows component responsible for managing 802.1X on Ethernet interfaces. It reads from a stored XML profile to know how to initiate the authentication handshake with the network switch. This profile defines everything: the EAP method, whether that is PEAP with MSCHAPv2 or EAP-TLS with certificates, the trusted certificate authorities, and how the client should identify itself. When the upgrade process runs, it can reset this service's configuration or delete the profile entirely. Without the profile, dot3svc has no instructions. It cannot start the authentication process, and the switch port remains closed. To diagnose this on a specific machine, you do not need complex tooling. Open a command prompt with administrator privileges and run: netsh lan show profiles. If the output is empty or the expected profile is missing, you have confirmed the root cause. You can also open the Windows Event Viewer and navigate to Applications and Services Logs, then Microsoft, then Windows, then Wired-AutoConfig, and finally the Operational log. You will find explicit error events logged at the time of each failed connection attempt. These events will tell you precisely what went wrong, whether it is a missing profile, a certificate trust failure, or a service dependency issue. Now, let us talk about the three primary remediation paths. The right choice for your organization depends on your management infrastructure. The first and most robust option for traditional, on-premises environments is Group Policy. If your devices are domain-joined, you can create a Wired Network IEEE 802.3 Policy under Computer Configuration, Policies, Windows Settings, Security Settings. Within this policy, you define the 802.1X settings: the EAP type, the authentication method, and the certificate trust configuration. Once this GPO is linked to the appropriate Organizational Units and applied to the affected machines, the correct settings will be enforced and re-applied automatically, even if a future upgrade attempts to remove them. The key pitfall to watch for here is GPO filtering. Ensure your security filtering and WMI filters are correctly configured so the policy actually reaches the target machines. A common mistake is creating the policy but not verifying its application scope. The second option, and the best practice for modern, cloud-managed environments, is Microsoft Intune. If your devices are Azure AD joined or hybrid joined and managed via Intune, you should create a Configuration Profile using the Wired Network template for Windows 10 and later. The most efficient way to populate this profile is to first export the working XML from a correctly configured machine using the command: netsh lan export profile folder equals dot interface equals Ethernet. This gives you the raw XML that defines the 802.1X settings. You can then import this XML directly into the Intune profile. Assign the profile to a device group containing your affected machines, and Intune will push the configuration down. This is a highly scalable approach, particularly for distributed organizations like retail chains or hotel groups with hundreds of sites. The third option is the manual fix, which is appropriate for urgent, one-off situations. On a machine that is working correctly, export the profile with netsh lan export. Transfer the resulting XML file to the broken machine via USB or a network share that is accessible from the guest VLAN. Then, on the broken machine, run: netsh lan add profile filename equals your profile dot xml interface equals Ethernet. This immediately restores the authentication settings. The device should authenticate successfully on the next connection attempt. This is a fast, effective fix for a single user, but it is not scalable. If you find yourself doing this repeatedly, it is a strong signal that you need to implement a centrally managed policy. Let us now cover best practices for preventing this issue in the future. The most important principle is this: never rely on a manual configuration surviving an in-place OS upgrade. Treat your 802.1X profile as a policy that must be enforced from a central authority, not as a static setting on each device. This single mindset shift will save your team significant time and effort. Practically, this means ensuring your 802.1X configuration is part of your standard device build. Whether you use MDT, SCCM, or Windows Autopilot, the network profile should be deployed as part of the provisioning process. It should also be enforced by a persistent policy, either GPO or Intune, so that even if the local configuration is removed, it is automatically restored. For organizations managing large-scale upgrade deployments, consider adding pre-flight and post-flight steps to your upgrade task sequences. Before the upgrade runs, a script can back up the current 802.1X profile to a network location. After the upgrade completes, a verification step can check whether the profile is present and, if not, restore it from the backup. This belt-and-suspenders approach provides an additional safety net. From a compliance perspective, this issue has direct implications for PCI-DSS and ISO 27001. PCI-DSS requirement 1.2.1 mandates that traffic between the cardholder data environment and other networks is restricted. 802.1X is a key control for enforcing this segmentation. If devices lose their 802.1X configuration and fall onto an unsegmented network, you may be in breach of this requirement. Ensuring your 802.1X settings are centrally managed and resilient to upgrades is therefore not just an operational concern; it is a compliance imperative. Now, a few rapid-fire questions that come up frequently in client conversations. Does this affect WiFi as well? Yes, the same issue can affect wireless profiles, though the wired issue has been more consistently reported. The troubleshooting approach is analogous, using netsh wlan commands instead of netsh lan. Is this tied to a specific hardware vendor? No. This is a Windows software and configuration management issue. It affects devices from all major manufacturers. Can I prevent the profile from being deleted during the upgrade? If you are using a managed upgrade process via SCCM or Intune, you can add post-upgrade remediation steps. For unmanaged upgrades, the best mitigation is to have a policy in place that reapplies the configuration automatically after the upgrade completes. What if the profile is present but authentication is still failing? In this case, the issue may be with the certificate chain. After an upgrade, the machine certificate or the trusted root certificate authority may have been affected. Check the machine's certificate store and verify that the RADIUS server's root certificate is present and trusted. To summarize the key points from today's briefing. Windows 11 in-place upgrades can silently remove the XML profiles used by the Wired AutoConfig service, causing 802.1X authentication failures. The immediate diagnostic steps are to run netsh lan show profiles and check the Wired-AutoConfig operational log in Event Viewer. The three remediation paths are Group Policy for domain-joined devices, Microsoft Intune for cloud-managed devices, and manual netsh profile import for urgent, one-off fixes. The long-term solution is to enforce 802.1X settings via a centrally managed policy, treating it as a persistent configuration rather than a static setting. This is also a compliance concern for PCI-DSS and ISO 27001 environments. Your action item for this week is straightforward. Audit your current 802.1X management approach. If your settings are manually configured on endpoints without a central enforcement policy, that is a risk you need to address before your next upgrade cycle. Build the Intune profile or the GPO, test it on a pilot group, and deploy it. The investment is minimal. The risk mitigation is significant. Thank you for joining the Purple Technical Briefing. For more resources on enterprise network management and WiFi intelligence, visit purple dot ai.

Part of our core series: Enterprise WiFi Security Guide →

Interactive Diagnostic Engine

Windows 11 internet connectivity diagnostic tool

Select your Windows 11 build, network environment, and observed symptom below to generate an immediate administrative CLI recovery script and root-cause resolution sequence.

NCSI Active Probe Failure (Connected, No Internet)

High Severity

Technical Root Cause: Windows Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) failed to receive HTTP 200 from msftconnecttest.com or resolve dns.msftncsi.com due to DNS socket corruption or stale gateway ARP cache post-upgrade.

Event Log Triage Location:Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > NCSI > Operational (Event ID 4042 / 4043)
Elevated PowerShell / CMD Remediation Command
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet" /v EnableActiveProbing /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
shutdown /r /t 5
Step-by-Step Remediation Sequence:
  1. Flush DNS resolver cache and clear local routing table with ipconfig /flushdns.
  2. Verify EnableActiveProbing registry flag is set to 1 in NlaSvc parameters.
  3. Disable and re-enable the network adapter to rebind NDIS filter drivers.
  4. Reboot workstation to force NCSI cold re-probe across primary default gateway.

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Fix Windows 11 internet connectivity and network adapter issues post-upgrade

Executive summary

The transition to Windows 11 introduces a critical operational issue for enterprise network environments: the silent erasure of IEEE 802.1X wired authentication configurations during in-place OS upgrades. For IT directors, network architects, and system administrators overseeing managed device estates, this issue causes immediate connectivity outages, elevated help desk tickets, and compliance exposure.

The primary root cause is the corruption or complete removal of local XML configuration profiles for the Windows Wired AutoConfig service (dot3svc). When these profiles are purged, endpoints cannot perform port-based network access control authentication as defined by IEEE 802.1X.

This guide provides an authoritative methodology to diagnose, restore, and prevent Windows 11 802.1X authentication failures. It covers root cause mechanics, Event Viewer diagnostic codes, three remediation frameworks (Group Policy, Microsoft Intune, and netsh CLI), and long-term risk mitigation using cloud-native RADIUS authentication.

This guide is part of our comprehensive Enterprise WiFi Security & Authentication Guide.

Technical background and root cause analysis

IEEE 802.1X relies on three core components: the supplicant (client device), the authenticator (network switch or access point), and the authentication server (RADIUS server). On Windows endpoints, port-based authentication for Ethernet connections is handled by the Wired AutoConfig service (dot3svc).

During major Windows 11 feature updates (such as upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, or updating between 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2), the operating system performs a deep migration pass across registry keys and service definitions. Three specific failures occur during this process:

1. Service state reset

The dot3svc service startup type is frequently reset from Automatic to Manual or Disabled. When the device reboots post-upgrade, the service fails to initialize automatically, preventing EAPOL (EAP over LAN) frame transmission across the physical NIC interface.

2. Profile registry purge

Local 802.1X XML profiles stored under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Wired-AutoConfig are often wiped during the migration pass. Without an active profile, Windows 11 cannot present client certificates or EAP credentials to the switch port.

3. Credential Guard and PEAP-MSCHAPv2 incompatibility

Windows 11 enables Virtualization-based Security (VBS) and Credential Guard by default. Credential Guard isolates NTLM and Kerberos secret hashes in a virtualized container, blocking legacy PEAP-MSCHAPv2 password hash extraction. As a result, endpoints relying on legacy PEAP authentication experience persistent Access-Reject responses post-upgrade. Upgrading to certificate-based EAP-TLS is required to restore authentication. For detailed comparison, see our WPA3 Enterprise vs iPSK Security Model guide.

4. Strict RADIUS certificate validation in Windows 11 24H2

Windows 11 24H2 enforces strict server certificate validation rules. If the RADIUS server certificate lacks a valid Subject Alternative Name (SAN) matching the 802.1X profile configuration, or if the issuing Root CA is absent from the Local Computer Trusted Root store, Windows drops the connection with Error Code 0x80070490.

Diagnostic matrix and Event Viewer reference

When troubleshooting an affected Windows 11 endpoint, use the Windows Event Viewer path: Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Wired-AutoConfig > Operational

Event ID Log source Error condition Root cause Elevated command prompt fix
12014 Wired-AutoConfig EAPOL start timeout dot3svc service disabled or stopped sc config dot3svc start=auto && net start dot3svc
12015 Wired-AutoConfig Authentication failure (APIPA IP) Switch port unauthenticated; device placed in Guest VLAN netsh lan reauthenticate interface="Ethernet"
5632 Wired-AutoConfig Explicit Access-Reject Missing client certificate or disabled AD account netsh lan export profile folder=C:\temp
12013 Wired-AutoConfig Server certificate untrusted Missing Root CA in Local Computer Trusted Store certutil -store Root
10001 Wired-AutoConfig 802.1X profile absent Netsh LAN XML profile registry keys purged by upgrade netsh lan add profile filename="C:\temp\Profile.xml"

Automated PowerShell diagnostic snippet

Run the following elevated PowerShell commands to inspect the physical interface and 802.1X profile state:

# Check Wired AutoConfig service status
Get-Service -Name dot3svc | Select-Object Name, Status, StartType

# Display configured 802.1X wired profiles
netsh lan show profiles

# Display interface authorization state
netsh lan show interfaces

Got questions about your specific setup?

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Step-by-step remediation methods

Restoring 802.1X connectivity across an enterprise network requires selecting the appropriate management toolchain based on infrastructure architecture.

Method 1: Active Directory Group Policy enforcement (GPO)

For domain-joined endpoints, Group Policy provides automated enforcement that restores wiped profiles upon next reboot:

  1. Open Group Policy Management Console (gpmc.msc) on a Domain Controller.
  2. Edit the target Group Policy Object linked to your Windows 11 Computer OU.
  3. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Wired Network (IEEE 802.3) Policies.
  4. Right-click and select Create A New Wired Network Policy for Windows Vista and Later.
  5. Enable Use Windows Wired AutoConfig service for IEEE 802.1X network access.
  6. Under the Security tab, select Microsoft: Smart Card or other certificate (EAP-TLS) and configure trusted Enterprise Root CAs.
  7. Force policy update across client endpoints: gpupdate /force.

Method 2: Microsoft Intune deployment (Cloud MDM)

For cloud-managed endpoints, deploy an 802.1X profile payload via Microsoft Intune. For step-by-step SCEP and PKCS certificate profile configuration, refer to our dedicated Microsoft Intune WiFi Certificate Deployment Guide.

  1. Export a golden 802.1X XML profile from a reference machine: netsh lan export profile folder=C:\temp interface="Ethernet"
  2. Open Microsoft Intune admin center (intune.microsoft.com).
  3. Navigate to Devices > Configuration profiles > Create profile.
  4. Select Windows 10 and later as Platform, and Wired network as Template.
  5. Paste the exported EAP XML configuration into the XML profile settings field.
  6. Assign the policy to your Azure AD device group to enforce automated remediation post-upgrade.

Method 3: Netsh CLI manual XML profile import

For standalone endpoints or emergency desktop support, import the profile manually via Command Prompt:

:: 1. Ensure Wired AutoConfig service is active
sc config dot3svc start=auto
net start dot3svc

:: 2. Import the reference 802.1X XML profile
netsh lan add profile filename="C:\temp\MasterWiredProfile.xml" interface="Ethernet"

:: 3. Re-trigger port authentication
netsh lan reauthenticate interface="Ethernet"

Best practices for enterprise deployments

To prevent 802.1X profile loss during future Windows 11 updates, implement the following operational safeguards:

  • Embed 802.1X configuration in OS deployment baselines: Ensure Microsoft Autopilot, SCCM, or MDT task sequences apply 802.1X profiles during initial provisioning.
  • Centralize policy enforcement: Avoid manually configured endpoints. Enforce network settings via GPO or Intune to ensure self-healing policy re-application.
  • Implement pre-upgrade task sequence backups: Export existing profiles to a secure network share (netsh lan export) before executing major OS upgrades.
  • Maintain version-controlled XML repositories: Store master XML profiles for each venue and security zone in a central repository to accelerate disaster recovery.
  • Migrate from PEAP-MSCHAPv2 to EAP-TLS: Transition from password-based authentication to digital certificates to eliminate Credential Guard compatibility failures. Learn how in our What is RADIUS Authentication and How Does It Work? guide.

Troubleshooting and risk mitigation

When an endpoint loses network access post-upgrade, execute this systematic diagnostic sequence:

  1. Verify physical layer and link lights: Confirm Ethernet link status and switch port connectivity.
  2. Check IP address allocation: Run ipconfig /all. An APIPA address (169.254.x.x) indicates complete 802.1X authentication failure or switch port blockade. An unexpected subnet indicates placement in an isolated Guest VLAN.
  3. Inspect 802.1X profile state: Run netsh lan show profiles. If empty, the profile was purged during OS migration.
  4. Analyze Wired-AutoConfig Event Logs: Check Event IDs 12014, 12015, and 5632 to isolate certificate, credential, or service issues.
  5. Apply centralized policy remediation: Trigger a policy sync via Intune or GPO to restore the profile automatically.

Fix Windows 11 internet connectivity and network adapter issues post-upgrade - troubleshooting steps infographic

ROI and business impact

Unplanned network outages following OS updates carry substantial financial and operational overhead. Managing 802.1X configurations centrally yields measurable ROI across three key areas:

1. IT support cost reduction

In a 1,000-device enterprise estate, approximately 15% of endpoints experience profile loss or service reset during major OS upgrade cycles. Manually troubleshooting 150 devices at 30 minutes per ticket consumes 75 hours of Level 2 IT support time. At a loaded cost of $60 per hour, a single update cycle costs $4,500 in reactive support.

By deploying centralized Intune or GPO policies (requiring ~4 hours of architect setup time, or $240), organizations achieve full ROI on the first upgrade cycle, with an 80% reduction in network access support tickets.

2. Regulatory compliance adherence

  • PCI DSS Requirement 1.2.1: Mandates strict network segmentation between cardholder data environments (CDE) and general corporate networks. Unauthenticated devices falling onto open default VLANs violate segmentation controls.
  • ISO 27001 Annex A.12.1.2: Requires formal change management and configuration enforcement. Self-healing network policies satisfy audit controls.
  • CCPA/CPRA: Requires technical measures to ensure network data confidentiality and integrity.

3. Operational continuity for venue estates

Physical venues - hotels, conference centers, retail chains, and stadiums - depend on authenticated network infrastructure for property management systems, ticketing terminals, and POS systems. Proactive 802.1X management prevents revenue loss caused by front-desk or POS offline downtime.

Permanent resolution with Purple Cloud RADIUS

Manually restoring XML profiles or troubleshooting GPO sync delays after every Windows update creates unnecessary operational burden. Purple Passwordless Staff WiFi and Cloud RADIUS provide a cloud-native 802.1X authentication platform that eliminates local profile corruption.

  • Zero-touch identity integration: Automatically authenticate devices via Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, or Google Workspace using certificate-based WPA3-Enterprise or Passpoint (Hotspot 2.0).
  • 80% reduction in support tickets: Eliminate shared WPA2 passwords and manual XML profile scripts across your estate.
  • Enterprise reliability: Built on hardware-agnostic cloud RADIUS architecture serving 80,000+ live venues with a 99.999% uptime SLA.

Book an enterprise WiFi technical consultation or explore Purple Passwordless Staff WiFi to eliminate 802.1X configuration failures.

Key Definitions

IEEE 802.1X

An IEEE standard for port-based Network Access Control (PNAC) that provides an authentication mechanism to devices wishing to attach to a LAN or WLAN.

Port-based network access control standard for enterprise networks.

Wired AutoConfig Service (dot3svc)

A built-in Windows service responsible for performing IEEE 802.1X authentication on Ethernet network adapters.

Windows service managing 802.1X authentication on Ethernet interfaces.

EAP-TLS

An IETF standard for mutual authentication between a client and a RADIUS server using X.509 digital certificates.

Extensible Authentication Protocol using Transport Layer Security.

netsh lan

A command-line scripting tool in Windows that enables administrators to configure, display, and export 802.1X wired network profiles.

Windows command-line utility for managing wired network settings.

RADIUS Server

Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service server (such as Microsoft NPS, Cisco ISE, or Aruba ClearPass) that authenticates client credentials.

Centralized AAA authentication server in enterprise architecture.

Worked Examples

Following a fleet-wide update to Windows 11, 20% of corporate desktop endpoints report loss of intranet access and acquire 169.254.x.x APIPA IP addresses on Ethernet connections. Running netsh lan show profiles shows zero configured profiles. What is the root cause and how should IT remediate this at scale?

  1. Root Cause: The Windows 11 feature upgrade migration pass purged the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Wired-AutoConfig registry keys, removing local 802.1X profiles while leaving switch ports in un-authenticated guest/blocked state. 2. Tactical Fix: Export a functional XML profile from a reference endpoint (netsh lan export profile folder=C:\temp) and import it on affected hosts (netsh lan add profile filename=...). 3. Scalable Resolution: Deploy an Active Directory Group Policy Object (GPO) targeting Wired Network (IEEE 802.3) Policies or an Intune Configuration Profile with a Wired Network payload to enforce profile restoration automatically.
Examiner's Commentary: This solution correctly diagnoses profile registry loss during major OS updates and outlines both immediate command-line remediation and long-term automated MDM policy enforcement.

A Windows 11 24H2 host fails 802.1X authentication. Event Viewer displays Event ID 12013: "The identity of the authentication server could not be verified". RADIUS logs show Access-Reject. What configuration change is required?

  1. Windows 11 24H2 enforces strict server certificate trust validation. 2. The client 802.1X profile must have ValidateServerCertificate set to true, with the Root CA present in the computer Trusted Root store. 3. The ServerNames property in the XML profile must match the Subject Alternative Name (SAN) of the RADIUS server certificate.
Examiner's Commentary: Identifying strict certificate validation rules in Windows 11 24H2 is vital for resolving EAP-TLS and PEAP authentication failures.

Practice Questions

Q1. Which Windows service must be set to Automatic startup for 802.1X Ethernet authentication to function?

Hint: Check the startup type of the Windows Wired AutoConfig service.

View model answer

The Wired AutoConfig service (dot3svc) must be set to Automatic startup type. By default on non-domain joined Windows installations, this service is set to Manual and will not perform 802.1X authentication.

Q2. What exact command exports an 802.1X profile from an active Ethernet adapter to an XML file?

Hint: Recall the netsh lan syntax for exporting network profiles.

View model answer

netsh lan export profile folder=C:\temp interface="Ethernet" exports the 802.1X profile as an XML file to the specified directory.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my internet stop working after upgrading to Windows 11?

Windows 11 feature upgrades frequently overwrite vendor-specific wireless drivers with generic Microsoft in-box drivers, corrupt the Winsock LSP catalog, or fail to rebind TCP/IP registry stack settings. Additionally, Windows Fast Startup can leave network interface cards in a low-power D3cold state where the hardware radio fails to re-initialize upon reboot.

How do I reset the TCP/IP stack and Winsock catalog in Windows 11?

Open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell terminal as Administrator and run 'netsh winsock reset' followed by 'netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt'. Then execute 'route -f' to purge corrupted routing tables and restart the workstation. This restores network socket bindings and IP routing to factory defaults.

Why does Windows 11 show 'Connected, no internet' on WiFi?

The 'Connected, no internet' status occurs when the device associates with an access point and receives an IP address, but Windows Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) active probes to msftconnecttest.com fail. Common causes include upstream DNS server timeouts on UDP port 53, captive portal redirection delays on guest WiFi, expired DHCP leases, or VPN filter drivers blocking NCSI requests.

How does Fast Startup cause network adapter failures post-upgrade?

Windows Fast Startup does not perform a standard system shutdown; instead, it saves kernel state and loaded drivers to hiberfil.sys. If a feature update introduces incompatible NDIS 6.x driver parameters, Fast Startup reloads the unstable state repeatedly. Disabling Fast Startup via 'powercfg /hibernate off' forces a clean cold boot and full hardware re-enumeration.

How can enterprise IT administrators prevent fleet-wide network issues after Windows 11 feature updates?

IT teams should stage driver packages in Microsoft Intune or SCCM before pushing OS feature rings, deploy proactive remediation scripts that detect missing default gateways, and ensure corporate WiFi infrastructure supports 802.11k/v fast roaming protocols to avoid client-side NIC roaming thrash.

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Got questions about your specific setup?

Our team works with venue operators, IT managers, and network engineers across 80,000 venues. Book a 20-minute call and we will show you how others like you solved it.